8. Venus in Fur
Roman Polanski is one of the Academy’s favorite directors – just look at his nominations for Knife in the Water, Chinatown and Tess, and his statuette for The Pianist. And though the Best Director field will be very crowded this year, it’s possible voters will honor him yet again for Venus in Fur, a French drama about the writer-director (César winner Mathieu Amalric) of a play who becomes obsessed with an energetic actress (César nominee Emmanuelle Seigner) during her audition for the lead character. The film has received very strong reviews, including four stars from our own Dominic Mill, who concluded that, “It’s smart, energetic and fiercely original filmmaking, the kind of stuff true movie fans will always crave.”
If Venus in Fur stands a chance of a nomination, it will either come in Best Director, though that’s highly unlikely, or Best Foreign Language Film, which seems a little more believable. After all, Polanski’s name is still well-respected in Hollywood, despite his legal troubles, and Venus in Fur has been hailed as a return to form for him.
Published: Jun 19, 2014 02:00 pm